Warbler ID Please (1 Viewer)

Can anyone help with an ID of these birds. They are all warblers, a bit of a blindspot for me I'm afraid.

Also if anyone can recommend a good field guide to Warblers I would appreciate your guidance

Thanks

Bernard

Hi Bernard,
First off, where were these taken? The UK or Saudi Arabia?
The birds in question seem to be unstreaked Acrocephalus warblers. They all seem quite similar, having a relatively prominent eye ring, some birds have a moderately long primary projection and I could easily buy them all being Reed Warblers. The right hand bird is a bit olive-toned above, which would be less of an issue if the pic was taken in Saudi, as some fuscus Reeds can be quite olive-toned above.

Hi there, thanks for the response. Meant to say they were taken in Saudi Arabia last weekend

Actually, as per Kennerley and Pearson's 'Reed and Bush Warblers', the local breeding Reed Warblers in Saudi Arabia are avicenniae. Fuscus would occur on migration, but I wouldn't expect many to be present in June. Under 'recognition', the book states the following: 'The Red Sea breeding form A.s.avicenniae (Mangrove Reed Warbler) is closer in colour to both A.s.fuscus and Marsh Warbler, but easily seperated from both by its shorter, more rounded wing (p2 usually < p6). It also lacks the rufescent upperparts of nominate Eurasian Reed and the nearest African Reed Warbler races cinnamomeus and suahelicus'.